‘The Other Side of the Mountain’: Discovering the Okitama Region through Immersive Outdoors and Cultural Experiences

Region through Immersive Outdoors and Cultural Experiences

●   Yamagata-based travel specialists Yamagata Experience and Plat YonezawaCorporation launch new, small-scale tours targeted at both domestic and inboundtravellers, especially outdoor enthusiasts

●   Experiences include outdoor activities like canoeing, hot airballooning, snow trekking, but also cultural experiences like martial arts andtextiles weaving

●   The Okitama region is conveniently located two hours from Tokyo Station

Outdoorstours in rural Japan are ideal travel activities for those seeking less crowdeddestinations

Why visit the Okitama region?

Yamagata Prefecture is famous for the yamabushi ofDewa Sanzan, the ice monsters and ski slopes of Zao Onsen, and the richculinary culture of UNESCO Creative CIty of Gastronomy, Tsuruoka. But withtheir new fully-guided tours, travel specialists Yamagata Experience and PlatYonezawa Corporation hope to shine a light on a part of Yamagata hitherto knownprimarily to locals rather than out-of-prefecture visitors — the Okitamaregion.

Small-scaletours in the Okitama outdoors

Activetravellers will find the Okitama region has much to offer by way of uniqueoutdoor adventures year-round, with spring canoeing around Lake Shirakawa andwinter snow trekking to giant icefalls being memorable experiences.

According to Miyajima Hiroaki, CEO of PlatYonezawa Corporation, the Okitama region is a particularly convenientdestination for nature lovers — especially those seeking winter activities —being located only two hours from Tokyo Station or two hours from SendaiAirport.

The new tours launched by Yamagata Experience andPlat Yonezawa Corporation are as follows:

YAMAGATA EXPERIENCE

Canoeing on Lake Shirakawa

A beginner-friendly, two-hour canoeing tour across Lake Shirakawa. Available year-round as long as snow does not impede road access. In spring, snowmelt causes the water levels to rise substantially and flood the surrounding area, creating the illusion of a fantastical “submerged forest” growing out of a lake.

Yamagata Hot Air Balloon Project

An aerial tour highlighting the beauty of the Okitama region’s rich natural landscape from above. Visitors may be able to see a sea of clouds above the basin, depending on the weather.

Snow Trekking to the Icefalls

A moderately challenging but beginner-friendly snow trekking tour to magnificent 30 metre-tall icefalls, from Zao Liza World Ski Resort to the Senninzawa Ice Garden. Snow trekking gear can be rented for an additional fee.

YAMAGATA　EXPERIENCE

Off-the-beaten-path adventures

Thanks to factors such as the COVID-19 pandemic,increasing consumer awareness of overtourism, and a growing interest insustainable travel, the Tohoku region has received more attention as a traveldestination in recent years.

Outdoor activities and nature-based tourism inrural Japan have become especially popular, as they are ideal for travellersseeking less crowded destinations, and more intimate encounters with localpeople — or repeat visitors to Japan wishing to explore more of thecountry. 

“Outdooractivities allow visitors to experience at firsthand the nature of Yamagata,”says Horie Morihiro, President of Yamagata Experience. “You can really feel theseasonal changes here.”

Miyajima concurs, noting that the Okitama regionwill “surely be a place where travellers will experience life epiphanies.”

In a region with few tour companies catering toEnglish-speaking visitors, both Plat Yonezawa Corporation and YamagataExperience see tremendous potential in Yamagata’s rich natural resources, andhope to convince domestic and international visitors of its allure.

Newly established in 2022, Plat YonezawaCorporation’s activities primarily centre on projects and tours involvingYonezawa City; while Yamagata Experience has been operating nature-centricsightseeing tours since 2017.

Yamagata has a wealth of culture and traditionstill little-known to outsiders, along with a rich culinary history, stunninglandscapes, and friendly residents.

Japan is at the top ofthe list of countries many people want to visit, and recent internationalcoverage has spotlighted the Tohoku region as an underrated,off-the-beaten-path travel gem. Pieces on the newly-opened 1000 km-long walkingpath, the Michinoku Coastal Trail, have appeared in the South China Morning Post and BBC Travel, while Mountain Watch has highlighted theregion as a must-visit for snow and winter sports lovers.